Faerie by Delle Jacobs

Narrated by Simon Vance

When I’m looking for something to read, certain things really pull me in. Faerie by Delle Jacobs looked like a combination of three of my favorite things. It was set in Medieval England, involved faeries, and had a strong romantic plot. The fact that Simon Vance narrated it was an added bonus so I prepared for a really stellar listen.

Leonie has always known she’s different from those around her. The daughter of an English lord and a faerie woman, Leonie is considered a halfling. She feels out of place in the human world but fears she will never find the world of the faeries. This forces her to do her best to hide her differences from those she loves, for fear of being branded a witch.

Philippe Le Peregrine has spent years devoting his life to the English king. He has earned the gratitude of the monarch and isn’t one to take advantage of the king’s favor. He asks for only one thing – never to be asked to take a wife. His first wife was taken from him and he fears a curse has been placed upon him. He would rather spend the rest of his life alone than risk losing another woman to the dark forces that stalk him.

Philippe and Leonie are thrown together when the king orders Philippe to marry the young heiress. Naturally, Philippe is furious and Leonie isn’t exactly thrilled by the prospect either. They are both loyal to their monarch though, which causes them to form a rather unwilling alliance. Philippe is determined to stash Leonie away on one of their country estates and continue his life as the king’s most courageous soldier, but life has something totally different in store for these two.

Simon Vance is an incredibly skilled narrator. I’ve listened to him a few times before, and I’ve always enjoyed his ability to bring Great Britain to life. Faerie was no exception. He has a wonderful English accent, which never fails to make me feel like I’ve been transported across the pond. I admire a narrator who can draw me in in such a way. He also manages to read with a Scottish burr when necessary.

Vance’s depiction of Philippe was spot-on. Philippe is a man used to keeping his feelings hidden. He is considered a ruthless fighter, definitely not someone you would want to count as an enemy. Vance gives him a rather gruff way of speaking, not angry, not cruel, but with the merest suggestion of both qualities. When he realizes that Leonie is the woman he loves, he softens up, something Vance also portrays beautifully. There’s a softening to his tone. It doesn’t change the overall sense of Philippe’s character. Instead, it serves to flesh him out as more of a complete person. Now, he’s not just a warrior. He’s a man in love with a very unusual woman.

I wasn’t quite as taken with Vance’s depiction of Leonie. He gives her a breathy voice that put me in mind of someone with a lot less practicality than Leonie is supposed to have. He does manage to capture the wistful quality that seems to permeate her character. She wants to belong somewhere but fears she never will. However, the wistfulness is allowed to overshadow Leonie’s bravery and intelligence. Both of these qualities are written about quite often, but the voice Vance chose for her doesn’t convey them very well.

His voicing of supporting characters is wonderful. It was always clear who was speaking, even if dialogue tags were not in use. He gives the king an authoritative, booming voice which suits the way the character was written. Leonie’s nursemaid, an elderly Scottish woman, is another remarkably well-depicted character. She sounds just quavery enough to convey her age but spunky too. She’s not one to sit idly by when Leonie is in trouble. Her devotion to her mistress is plain to see.

Unfortunately, I didn’t end up enjoying Faerie as much as I hoped I would. There are various holes in the plot that are left wide open at the end of the book. The relationship between Philippe and Leonie is believable, but Jacobs doesn’t do a very good job of helping readers understand why Leonie is so set against the marriage. We know Philippe’s reason, but what of Leonie? All we know is that she doesn’t want to marry him even though she has vowed to marry whomever the king chooses.

Also, I would have liked to see more done with the fact that Leonie is part faerie. True, she has abilities mere mortals do not have. She can heal with a touch, can see in the dark, and can cause arrows to hit their intended targets almost without fail. These things weren’t enough for me though. I wanted to know more. For example, we know Leonie’s mother disappeared back into the faerie realm. Why did she choose to leave, and why didn’t she take her young daughter with her? It also bothered me that Leonie’s faerie abilities are only mentioned when it’s convenient. For example, we learn of her supreme skill as an archer when her home is under attack. She can heal her own wounds when no one else is around to do it, and she is able to make herself blend into her surroundings when she is trying to escape those who would do her harm. Unfortunately, these things seemed more like plot devices than true parts of the character.

Having said all this, please understand that Faerie isn’t a bad book. It’s just not a stellar one. Vance’s narration kept me hooked, even when the story itself was unable to hold my attention. This is something I would definitely recommend listening to rather than reading in print.

Shannon

Narration:  A-

Book Content:  B-

Steam Factor:  Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence:  Escalated fighting

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Publisher:  Brilliance Audio

Faerie was provided to AudioGals for review by Brilliance Audio.